eighth grade

Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and More Comedies Score Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

The 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations were just announced and, as they are a little more comedy friendly than their big brother, The Oscars, it’s worth taking a gander of what comedies are hitting with voters this time around.

For this year, there definitely seems to be a strong thread of comedy going to the darker corners of the human experience throughout as Eighth Grade scored multiple nominations along with the dark absurdist fantasy of Sorry to Bother You, Thoroughbreds (a buddy step-patricide comedy), Can You Ever Forgive Me? that has Melissa McCarthy attempting to make a living as a literary forger. From the moody color palate alone, you could toss Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest The Favourite, a period piece comedy about the struggle for power within a Queen’s court.

On the other end of this spectrum, you have more life affirming, specifically feminist, comedies such as Support The Girls and Never Goin’ Back.

All in all, a very nice, extensive round up of indie comedy nominees this past year as you can see below. Let’s hope a decent amount of them win when the Spirit Awards are handed out on Feb 23rd.

BEST FEATURE
EIGHTH GRADE-Producers: Eli Bush, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Lila Yacoub

BEST FIRST FEATURE
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU-Director: Boots Riley
Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jonathan Duffy, Charles D. King, George Rush, Forest Whitaker, Kelly Williams

BEST SCREENPLAY
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?-Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
EIGHTH GRADE-Bo Burnham
THOROUGHBREDS-Cory Finley

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
NEVER GOIN’ BACK-Writer/Director: Augustine Frizzell
Producers: Liz Cardenas, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Elsie Fisher, EIGHTH GRADE
Regina Hall, SUPPORT THE GIRLS

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Richard E. Grant, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
Josh Hamilton, EIGHTH GRADE

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
THE FAVOURITE (United Kingdom)-Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Read the full list of Spirit Award nominees here.

A24 Is Screening Eighth Grade at 100 Schools for Free This Month

October 10, 2018

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A24 Is Screening Eighth Grade at 100 Schools for Free This Month

Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade may be not only one of the best movies this year, but also a pointedly important one giving a glimpse into what it’s like to be a teenager in 2018 as well as growing up in general.

Sure it’s a commercial success for A24 and Burnham, but following the promotional tagline of “If you’ve been through eighth grade, then Eighth Grade is for you,” 100 schools (picked from submissions that are open right now) will get the chance for a free screening of the movie on the week of 10/22.

It’s a great chance for kids whom the movie is about to see it without worrying about the rating (or to see it again).

The deadline is 10/14. Get more details and submit here.

Bo Burnham and A24 Are Having Free Screenings of Eighth Grade So Kids In and Around Eighth Grade Can Go See It

August 6, 2018

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a24, bo burnham, eighth grade, free screening

Bo Burnham, writer and director of the fantastic Eighth Grade, has lamented that the film’s R-rating has made it difficult for kids to see it and is thus having the film screened for free for one special engagement this Wednesday, August 8th in all 50 states so that everyone of all ages can go see it (especially the kids of the age that the movie is about).

Get more details on showtimes and locations here. Know that you ought to show up early to make sure you get tickets and get in.

Oh yeah, in case you weren’t aware, Eighth Grade is playing nationwide and is, without a doubt, one of the best movies of the year. Please go see it at a theater whenever you can.

Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade Is Hands Down One of the Best Coming of Age Movies of the Year

July 13, 2018

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a24, bo burnham, eighth grade, elsie fisher

Bo Burnham continues to dazzle us all with his multitudes and multitudes of talent, skill, and precision even as he now takes his creativity behind the scenes these days.

His feature film debut Eighth Grade is further evidence of that claim and a fantastic and hysterical portrait of adolescence in 2018. The advent of social media, mass shootings, and a lost generation of parenting all raise the bar on what it’s like to be alienated as a kid right now. Burnham captures all of that in the most cinematic way possible even if the moments are rather small and nuanced in the grand scheme of life. Elsie Fisher has a star making performance with how true every stutter and hesitation rings when just trying to talk to someone as the film’s main girl, Kayla.

Also, if it helps, you can almost draw this analogy of Lady Bird is to the 90s and 2017 as Eighth Grade is to 2018 and everything that’s going on right now.

Eighth Grade is now playing in theaters in limited release in NY/LA.

Watch Trailer for Bo Burnham’s Writer-Director Debut “Eighth Grade”

March 15, 2018

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a24, bo burnham, eighth grade, trailer

Bo Burnham really is making an impressive showing as a director after making himself into a formidable comedian. From his work on his own specials to directing comedy specials for Jerrod Carmichael and Chris Rock, Burnham has made the next step to a feature length film Eighth Grade that he both wrote and directed.

The trailer promises a coming of age of story that has a bit of wry, satiric edge and something that could be really special (perhaps, 2018′s Lady Bird). The trailer will definitely make you think about how painful a time 8th grade might have been for you.

Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and More Comedies Score Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

A24 Is Screening Eighth Grade at 100 Schools for Free This Month

Bo Burnham and A24 Are Having Free Screenings of Eighth Grade So Kids In and Around Eighth Grade Can Go See It

Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade Is Hands Down One of the Best Coming of Age Movies of the Year

Watch Trailer for Bo Burnham’s Writer-Director Debut “Eighth Grade”

Look for Eighth Grade in theaters on July 13th.